The Steam Holiday Sale is on now through Sunday, January 1, 2012. In addition to huge savings throughout the store, the 2011 sale features two special promotions that allow you to win like never before.

The Great Gift Pile challenges gamers to complete up to six objectives each day. Completion of each objective grants the chance to win a free game or discount coupons for select games available on Steam. If you don’t win, no worries, you’ll be given a piece of coal. But hold onto that coal!

Why?

Coal is the ticket to enter the Epic Holiday Giveaway. It’s called Epic because the top prize is every game on Steam. The more coal you have, the better your chance of winning. Players may alternatively choose to magically mix their coal into something shiny and new by “crafting” seven pieces into a gift from the Great Gift Pile. So this year receiving coal is a good thing.

Didn’t get what you want? Of course Steam allows you to trade coal and prizes with your friends.

Further details on these events and information on how it’s progressing may be found here.

Complete information on all the savings, daily deals, featured publisher game packs, compilations and more may be found on www.steampowered.com.

Wrong. Adding 100% points would increase it by 100% points. Adding 100% would increase it by nothing. Take a calculator, type in 0 and add 100% - you get 0. If you had no chance of winning without entering then there is no percentage that you can add that will increase it - you either have a chance of winning or you don't. You certainly don't increase your odds by 100%. That's nonsense.

Anyway, the Steam servers seem to be back to normal though I still seem to be missing a gift. You're supposed to get a gift simply by checking your inventory and then receive another gift for doing so... I didn't receive the second gift.